Reasons to Stay at a Disney World Resort Hotel

One of the biggest decisions you can make in planning your trip to Disney World is where to stay. There are hundreds of thousands of options in the Orlando area, which can make your decision even more difficult. But it's really simple for us. We prefer to stay on site. We recommend it for everyone, but first-timers especially. Today we're outlining the reasons to stay at a Disney World Resort Hotel. Bonus — you can book your dream Disney hotel through your favorite theme park-visiting frogs. Which would be us.

Why You Should Stay at a Disney World Hotel

1. First Access to FastPass+ and Disney Dining Reservations

Resort guests have two distinct advantages when it comes to planning their vacations. They can book FastPass+ reservations and Advance Dining Reservations (ADRs) before anyone else. This means resort guests snag reservations for the most popular rides and restaurants.

We've written extensively about FastPass+. Disney's ride reservation system allows you to book up to three experiences per day in one park. Resort guests get to book 60 days in advance of check-in for their length of stay, whereas non-resort guests must book 30 days in advance for each day of their theme park visit. This means the resort guests get first dibs on the most popular rides and attractions in the parks. Just FYI, here they are:

Avatar - Flight of Passage at Disney's Animal Kingdom

Frozen Ever After at Epcot

Kali River Rapids at Disney's Animal Kingdom

Kilimanjaro Safaris at Disney's Animal Kingdom

Peter Pan's Flight at Magic Kingdom

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Magic Kingdom

Soarin' Around The World at Epcot

Toy Story Mania at Disney's Hollywood Studios

Slinky Dog Dash at Disney's Hollywood Studios

Here's how it works for ADRs: All guests (those staying on site and off) can book dining reservations starting 180 days out, but resort guests can book those reservations for their full stay whereas off-site guests can only book for the day. If you were planning a week-long stay to Disney World, you would be able to make reservations up to 187 days in advance, a full 7 days earlier than off-site guests. This is a big deal, because the most popular restaurants are often booked by the 180 day mark. Here are the most popular restaurants at Disney World:

Be Our Guest at Magic Kingdom

California Grill at Disney's Contemporary Resort

Cinderella's Royal Table at Magic Kingdom

Chef Mickey's at Disney's Contemporary Resort

Crystal Palace at Magic Kingdom

Le Cellier at Epcot

Victoria and Albert's at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

2. Free MagicBands and Other Perks

Resort guests get free MagicBands, which can be customized (up to five days before your check-in). If you customize your bands at least 10 days before your visit, they will be shipped to your home (U.S. residents only). For the customization, you get to pick the color of the band and can add a name or nickname to the inside of the band for easy identification. For you repeat resort guests who have multiple MagicBands, you can now decline a new band if you'd like in My Disney Experience.

The bands serve as your room key and entry into the park. They offer tap-and-go ease at FastPass+ queues and when you get photos taken with PhotoPass photographers. Additionally, hotel guests have the option to assign a four-digit pin for their band that can be used for purchases at the hotel, in the parks, and at some Disney Springs retail locations and restaurants. Resort guests also don't have to lug around all of their park purchases. Let someone else handle all of those souvenirs!

3. Extra Magic Hours

One of the other benefits of staying on site is extra time in the parks. At least one park each day hosts Extra Magic Hours — either an hour before the park opens or two hours after the park closes — just for resort guests. Now, Extra Magic Hours do impact everyone, and it's important to understand how, but they are a benefit for resort guests. They are most helpful to resort guests who have Park Hoppers, or Disney Theme Park Tickets with Park Hopper Option as they're formally known now.

4. Free Transportation to and from the Airport and Around the Parks

While we usually opt to rent a car, resort guests have the option of taking Disney's Magical Express from the airport and to their hotel room for free along with their luggage (only for flights between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m.). Check-in is done via MagicBands, so don't put them in your bags if you're opting for this service.Renting a car is a good option if you'll be visiting Universal or other theme parks, are traveling during peak times when transportation waits will be extra long or just want the maximum flexibility. Transportation from the hotel to the theme parks, water parks and Disney Springs is also free.

5. Location, Location, Location

One of the biggest reasons to stay at a Disney World hotel is location. Some are walking distance to the parks. Others are a boat, bus or monorail ride away. But they are all on the Disney World property, which makes it easier to take a break in the afternoon when crowds are at their peak or the tadpoles just need some downtime.

The Best Reason to Stay at a Disney World Hotel

We've outlined the major benefits to staying at a Disney World hotel, but the biggest one isn't an official benefit — it's simply being surrounded by the magic. Anyone who has been to Disney World can tell you the magic is real, and you get more of it staying on site. The hotels are so incredibly themed, with their own special Disney touches, character breakfasts and awesome pools. If you stay on site, you never have to leave the Disney bubble.

Now it's your turn. We want to hear why you stay on site. Leave us a comment and let us know your reasons for staying on site. For those who haven't stayed at Disney World hotel, let us know what questions you have! And for more tips, hop over to the Where to Stay in Orlando page inside our Orlando Planning Timeline!

If i book a Disney hotel for one night of my stay (already have villa booking) will I get these benefits and will it guarantee entry? I ask as my first full day is July 4th and have heard the park may reach capacity as early as 10 am :/ any advice appreciated.

Was refreshing my memory benefits to staying on Disney property. You need to amend this article because resort parking no longer free. And I had to fight with lady a booth for animal kingdom. She did not believe parking was free at parks.

We are staying at a universal hotel for 2 weeks in November for our honeymoon, we have tickets for both universal and disney and have just booked the Mickeys christmas party for the 12th and are thinking of booking one night in a disney hotel for that (we love the look of port orleans) would we be able to park at the hotel early that morning before we check in and use the transport to the parks? and would it be worth booking a disney hotel for one night?

Yes, you can park at the hotel you'll be checking in at. You could even leave your luggage there if you want and they will hold it for you. We always think it's worth booking a Disney hotel, even for one night! Besides the convenience of getting to and from the parks, you'll enjoy the magic of Disney right at your hotel. :)

We decided last minute that we would like to schedule a trip to Disney World April 26th to April 29th. We would like to stay at a Disney resort for the easy access to the parks. We are traveling with 3 adults and 1 child. In our group we have one disabled adult and a special needs child with a special diet so a kitchen will be needed as well as easy access from park to hotel if needed. Which Disney hotel do you recommend?

First time in Disney with our kids! So excited! We will be staying at the Grand Floridian from 3/16-3/19 and bought park hopper passes when we booked the hotel as a package. We will actually be arriving on 3/14 and staying with family. We wanted to use our park passes on 3/15 - a day before checking. Will this be a problem? Totally stressing!!

Booked an 11 day disney cruise leaving june 30. Flying in June 29. Are there any 1 day packages to stay at a Disney hotel and visit 1 park for the day be for our cruise? If so is there transportation from hotel to port and cost involved. Tis is for 4 adults 4 children, so would need 2 rooms. Thanks

You can definitely choose to stay at a Disney Hotel and experience the parks the day before your cruise. Disney offers Disney Cruise Line buses that will take you from your Disney Hotel to Port Canaveral. It's about $35 per person. Here's more information: https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/guest-services/air-ground-transportation/

Hi there - 2 Jane's querying something similar. funny. We're from NZ and will be over visiting in Sept 2018. We have booked a 4 day Disney Cruise. I've not been able to find much out yet about ground transport so was very interested in reading this. We could def get picked up at a WDW resort, and taken to where the ship departs ? We have booked outside of a WDW resort, but I think I am about to change my mind re this. Your site is very helpful, thanks and regards, Jane - NZ

If you're hopping over to Disney World before the cruise, you can take the Disney Cruise Line transfer. This bus will take you from Walt Disney World Resort to Port Canaveral. You can also take this bus straight from the airport, as well! Hope this helps.

Don't worry - we'll be here to help every step of the way! Check out our Park Plans to help give you a starting point of planning your days at Disney World.

In terms of your autistic child(ren), we recommend requesting a Disability Access Services card at guest services upon arrival, or see what other accommodations you may be eligible for. Be sure to pack plenty of snacks and perhaps some toys to keep your little ones occupied and schedule some downtime during your trip, as Disney World can be overwhelming.

Please shoot us a comment whenever you have a question or concern ... we want to help you have an awesome trip with your family!

We are planning a 2 day trip in Aug 2018. It includes 9 adults and 5 children. Our best experience when our kids were little 15 years ago was staying at the Beach Club. I gasped at the price for one room. What would you recommend. We stayed at port orleans, sports and I believe Animal Kingdom. None of these gave us the experience of Beach location. With so many of us what do you recommend?

If you're looking for a lower cost option for your group, Art of Animation is an awesome, fun value resort offering family suites. However, Beach Club is one of our favorite for family villas (and its location is amazing!) so if you had a positive experience there, we recommend sticking with it.

We are starting super early for a large family vacation (winter 2019)... 11 adults and so far 6 kids. Any recommendations on which location would have the best amenities and deals for a group this large? We would like to stay in one big house but know that the amenities to staying in a WDW location are ideal.. tia!!

That sounds like it will be an absolute blast! It sounds like the family suites at Art of Animation would be a great value option. You could also spend a bit more on a deluxe villa such as those at Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Hi! We have Port Orleans-Riverside booked from Sept 30 to October 6. We have two rooms of 4 adults and three 11 year old and one 8 year old boys. We were thinking a 4 day Disney pass but had Harry Potter World for one day in our head too. We are not a fan of other parts of Universal Studios. I see you have a deal of 4 days and an extra day. Is this still cheaper than a regular 4 day through the resorts at Disney?

my wife, 7 year old sone and myself are heading to Disney Sept 2018. Nothing booked yet. We are sourcing as much as we can from the internet and friends. Our thouhgts are every second day at one of the Disney parks, the other days we head to our choice of activities with a rental car. We are only doing this once so we want to make it memorable. With this being said we think we want to stay at one of the Disney hotels, however we are unsure. The meals, simplicity of it all is why we are thinking resort hotel is better, however we just are not sure.

We absolutely, toad-ally recommend staying at a Disney World resort hotel. Staying on Disney property is one of our favorite parts of the trip! It's truly a magical experience - plus comes with all of the perks and conveniences mentioned in this post. The best part? You can book discounted hotels through us! Let us know if you have any other questions. By the way, we recommend a value resort for your son for the ultimate fun Disney theming!

Hello, We have been to Disney World twice and stayed onsite both times and really enjoyed it. We are wanting to visit one last time this upcoming spring. I have received a resort vacation certificate as a Christmas gift for a 7 day stay at no cost. I can book in the Orlando area no problem. I am concerned staying off site. We are wanting top dinning choices (Cinderella's Royal Table, Belle's Castle) and I am afraid it will be much harder to get reservations when off site. Plus I am worried about the fast passes and not getting our choices for those. Those are the two most important on-site perks. We want to save money but at the same time, it's not really worth going if you can't do what you want. Can you please advise? Thanks!

If you are worried about how much staying off-site will impact your visit, then we recommend staying on-site. You can save money on other ways — flights, food, inexpensive lunches, packing small snacks and limiting souvenirs.

I've never been to Orlando and I'm considering a trip with the family. We are thinking at the end of February and we will have an almost two year old, six year old and nine year old. I'm trying to figure out best options if we wanted to do Disney and Universal. My older two would love Harry Potter at Universal but I don't know what else at Universal it would offer them and I'm thinking not much for the almost 2 year old. But if we do Disney and Universal it seems like a lot to take on for one trip?! Advice for newbies that want to do both?! Should we stay onsite or off? Do we really need to book stuff 6 months in advance? I'm guessing there isn't transportation from a Disney resort to Universal unless I rent a car? And are the three days consecutive or can I split up my days?

The best advice we can give you on Universal/Disney is to get your kids involved and see what interests them. Ask if they want to spend one day or two. Maybe there is a Disney park they don't want to do so you have more time at Universal or switch a Universal day for SeaWorld.

I'm debating on staying on site vs. off site. We'll be getting to Orlando on a Sunday and staying until Saturday in September. We will only visit Disney for two days and plan on going to Universal Studios, the beach and shopping. Please, give me your advice about which route we should take. Thank you in advance.

Staying on site offers you advantages such as on-site transportation and select Extra Magic Hours at the theme parks with a Disney stay. Universal also allows early admission to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. If those are important, stay on site. If they are not a big deal, and you'd rather just stay in one hotel, then off-site is the way to go. It can be less expensive as well. Check out some of our Frog Family Favorites here.

Thanks for the tips. My husband and I always travel with our five kids during their December to January school break. We just had an awesome second trip to Disneyland Paris and we saw that a lot of amenities were closed. Does it also happen to Disney World in Orlando during that time of the year? Winter is the only time our kids have a common break as they are in different levels--from primary school to College so we really make sure we maximize our time together.

Disney World will typically schedule ride refurbishments during the less crowded months = January-February There are also restaurants and quick serve locations that will operate on a seasonal basis. Look at our Refurbishment schedule to get an idea of the attractions and amenities that will be closed.

Hi, My Husband,our 10 year old son and I were looking to go to WDW in January 2017 from 20th to 29th. We have never been there before,. We are travelling from Canada and would like to know the best and Cheapest place to stay that would have flights, Hotel and, meals included.

Not knowing anyone whose been to Orlando/theme parks is hard since you don't have anyone guiding you or providing pointers, but to have someone who takes the time and effort to put this together is amazing! Thanks so much, this webpage has provided valuable information and great guidance! THANK YOU !

First, thanks for a great site. I love your blog and you saved us a bunch of $$ on Disney tickets and auto rental in the past. :) Now, for my question: We are a family of 6 and have never stayed on property but are considering for this year.... The challenge is that we need three bedrooms, and the kids' rooms have to have 2 beds each, to accommodate my 4 picky kids. They just don't sleep well in a shared bed, or on a pullout couch in the living room. The disney options that are big enough for us are so costly! Are there any tricks? Like a property where we could get adjoining rooms for less $$? We'd love to stay on property but the villas are so costly. (We don't want to stay in Tree House villas - seems a little small, and want to be closer to the parks.) Thanks!

Hi! We are coming the week of July 4th with a family of 5, 3 kids:-) and my parents and sister. We are of course looking for the best deal, and will get tickets through you!;) trying to find rooms for all of us, so two rooms, at a good price on grounds. Those dates are not on sale yet, they usually do go on sale though correct? I see the value of staying on grounds! Thanks!!

These dates are available now, and we do offer discounts for these dates, but there is currently no promotion being offered. There are often promotions during this time, but it's likely that the dates around July 4th would be excluded. This is one of the most popular times to visit the parks.

We are going on family trip to WDW on July, if we are going to stay just 1 night on WDW hotel and the rest of the stay outside Disney hotels, how does the FP+ work? considering i am buying a 3day ticket? so will I be able to to make FP+ 60 days before for 2 days and then for the last day just 30 days?

Also if i wanted to go before doing the checkin at WDW hotel to park and then do the checkin later is this posible? I dont want to lose time and I can leave my bags in the other hotel...or we need to make check in prior to enter the park like for using EMH ...

In the case of your example, yes, you would be able to book your FP+ 60 days in advance for your day of check-in and check-out at Disney. On your date of arrival to the Disney hotel, you would not need to check-in before you hit the parks.

Just to clarify... it looks like if you check in online and have all your tickets/bands linked you could visit a park on the day you check in ( before the physical check in time)? If my check-in time is 3 on Dec 25th can I go to a park from 10 -3 check in and go back to the park? And would all members of the party have to be there for the physical 3 pm check in?